Battlestar Olympia: Hell is met this Day
by April Welles
Summary: Another battlestar has survived. It, plus 123 other ships, must now make their trek and overcome hardships none thought they'd ever have to endure in order to find a fable. Caution: This series has lesbian characters although not graphically depicted.


Battlestar Olympia

Hell is met this day

Chapter 1

The _Olympia_, a massive ship over a mile in length, with two large outrigger pods, attached by huge arms, floats gracefully amongst the stars. Nearby are other ships similar in design and function to her. Far in the distance is a large moon with no known life upon it.

She is a battlestar. The most powerful ship in the Colonial Fleets.

Battlestars are not alone in their defense. There are other ships of varying sizes and strength that fill out the fleet.

Today, however, at the request of the Cylons, a mechanoid race, through their liaison Baltar, as well as President Adar, only the battlestars are present here at Cimtar.

Many people are skeptical of the sudden change in a race that have been their aggressors for the past millennium.

One of those people is Commander Zeyus Dolar of the battlestar _Olympia_.

Commander Zeyus is of average height and slightly stocky. He has been the Commander of the _Olympia _for fifteen quatrons since it was newly launched, and, having fought against the Cylons for twenty yahren, does not believe they want peace.

Zeyus runs a tight ship, though it's based on mutual respect and love. Fear is not something he uses although he does use discipline if necessary. He uses the rules as strong guidelines.

Pacing back and forth along the forward deck in the Command Center looking out the main viewport, he stopped and stared at the other ships floating in front of his.

He was distrusting of this treaty. He was suspicious of this location as a meeting place. Hell, he was even more leery of the positioning of the battlestars.

No, leery wasn't the word. Suspicious. Downright suspicious.

The most powerful ships the Colonies had been able to design and build over the past thousand yahren were sitting in one location, in virtually a straight line. Easy targets for any threat to attack.

Yes, these ships were the most powerful built. But a good defensive fleet requires support ships. Frigates, destroyers, cruisers, even smaller ships like corvettes and cutters. All of these ships working together in tandem with the battlestar was what made a powerful defensive fleet.

None of those were here now. None, by order of President Adar.

Commander Zeyus wanted to speak with the president about the potential error of his request regarding the abandonment of the support ships. He waited for communication to come through.

"Commander." Lieutenant Danar spoke over Zeyus' shoulder. "Communication has been established. President Adar is waiting."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." He turned from the main window and walked to his command chair planning what he would say.

There on the screen stood a man in his early sixties. His face was both soft and youthful yet had wrinkles of a man who had dealt with a great deal of stress in his life. "Yes, Commander. You wish to speak with me?" His eyes were bright, and his voice had a ring of joy to it.

"Mister President." Zeyus said with a small, formal bow. "I am very leery of this entire situation. The demand for our support ships to be away from here. The positioning of our battlestars. The out-of-the-way location nowhere near any of our planets or subcolonies for which we protect."

Adar, smiled and nodded. He seemed to know what Zeyus was saying. In fact he did. A few other Commanders made some similar comments to him.

"Thank you, Commander Dolar." The President said calmly through the viewer. "Your feelings have been heard. But I must remind you that this is a peace envoy. We are merely displaying our good, peaceful intentions, not a gearing towards a new battle."

"I understand, Mister President. However, this is still a tense time for all of us. Not just the warriors in the entire Fleet. But amongst all of humanity." Zeyus tried to use humanitarian reason with him. He regarded Adar as a good man. One of the best and most fair President's the Colonies had had in many yahren. However, he was also too much of an idealist.

Something someone could use against him and, through him, all of the Colonies.

"We need to be much more cautious about this. These machines have been not only at our throats for a thousand yahren, but at the throats of our friends and allies in other systems. Relentless in their efforts to wipe all biological life out." Zeyus stressed the last point.

"That, Commander," Adar stated, "is exactly why we need to have this peace envoy. To end the hostilities against us and our friends."

"Mister President." He tried again, "Those machines destroyed their own creators. The reason they have not destroyed us has been our strength in our defensive capabilities. This would be a perfect lure to destroy many of our most powerful ships and diminish our resources. Making us easier to conquer."

"If I may?" A voice said from off screen. A moment later Baltar appeared standing next to Adar. "That is precisely the mentality that the Cylons are fearing we may harbor during **their **request for peace. They find it a drain upon their resources as well as we do. This peace is something we can all afford. What we cannot afford is old, petty hatred." Baltar stared intently at Zeyus when he said that.

Zeyus could not stand Baltar. He never got a good feeling from him. Yes, he appeared to be a good bureautician, but he always seemed to be attached to someone's cloak hem. As though he was trying to rise through the ranks for more power.

He did not trust him. He trusted his feelings as those had saved his life and the life of all those under him for the last 20 yahren.

"You need not glare at me Baltar." Zeyus stated patiently into the viewer. "I hold no shame in my hatred of a machine that has tried to kill me on numerous occasions. I am here to defend our race from something that strikes me very strongly as a trap."

With a look of both astonishment and anger, Baltar responded quickly. "A trap? A **trap**? That is absurd. They sue for peace and you plead for more war." Baltar's voice started to reach higher in register showing his anger. Zeyus, however, stayed calm.

"Come now, gentlemen." Adar soothed, placing his hand upon Baltar's shoulder. "Let us not get into our own battles just before an historic peace." Smiling as he said it. He was aware of how excited Baltar could get sometimes while trying to convince the Quorum of the Cylons sincerity.

Suddenly Adar turned to respond to a muffled voice from off-viewer.

"Ah. Yes. Of course. Thank you." Turning back to face the screen, his smile never leaving his face. "Commander. I'm afraid I must cut this transmission short. I have heard your statements and they have been recorded. However, it is time for Baltar and myself to attend the meeting with the Quorum of the Twelve before shuttling over to the _Star Kobol _for the treaty signing. Thank you, and you will see you have nothing to worry about." With a smile the viewer went black.

"Commander." A strong female voice shook him momentarily from his concern.

"Yes, Colonel Ali. What is it?"

"Are you all right, Commander? You seem tense."

"Hm. Do I?" He asked as he stroked his neatly trimmed blond mustache and beard which surround only his mouth. His hair was similar in appearance, thin, wavy, blond hair and neatly groomed. "Well, I guess you could say that I am considering all possibilities."

The Colonel stood for a moment, staring out the viewport thinking. Her black hair draping over the shoulders of her blue command tunic.

"You don't believe there will be peace?" She asked finally.

"No, I don't. This is too staged. Our ships are too easy to prey upon. Leave it to bureauticians to plan the deployment of the fleet."

"What do you propose to do?" The colonel asked crossing her arms. "What _can _you do? This is a peaceful gathering. It's not like you can launch shield, or intercept, Vipers."

"I do realize that, Colonel." Zeyus replied with a smile forming. "However, I do have an idea, and I need you to do something for me." His eyes held a gleam that Colonel Ali was almost familiar with.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the ship. Something more touching and human was occurring.

A gentle, melodic chiming flowed through the air. The room's automatic lighting system slowly began to brighten as though it were dawn. For on board any star ship it is always night, but to keep the inhabitants health up they have daytime settings for their quarters.

As the light slowly increased, two figures moved gently under the covers. Their arms entwined as they slept, one behind the other. Gently, Ishtar raised her head, her long black hair flowing from her shoulders as she moved, and whispered into the ear of the figure in front of her.

"Good morning, My One." Placing a gentle kiss upon her cheek.

Athena began to stir and groan, "I don't wanna to get up yet. It's my day off. "

"It is also our Remembrance, Lady Dolar." Purred Ishtar.

At the sound of those words, Athena, rolled over and wrapped her arm around Ishtar and kissed her lips.

"It is, isn't it?" Purring back, smiling. "One yahren to the day that we were sealed."

"It took you long enough." Ishtar replied with false sarcasm. "We were together for five yahren before you finally asked." Pouting slightly.

"Well," replied Athena, "I had to wait until we weren't stationed at Gemoni. Those people are wound up tighter than a felis sniffing Felnip."

"Only people of two genders may be wed here." Ishtar said in a mockingly stern voice,

"Otoris forbids all other contact." Athena mocked back. "I'm glad we were born on Virgon."

"Me too." Ishtar replied with a relieved sigh. "Much more open-minded. Love is what's important. Not gender."

"Speaking of love," Athena rolled over and reached into a drawer by the bed and pulled out a small, decorated box. "Here is your Remembrance gift."

Ishtar's eyes widened and she sat up quickly and bounced repeatedly upon her knees and smiled. Athena handed her the small, purple box. Gingerly, not wanting to drop it, Ishtar opened it. Within was a silver pendant shaped at the bottom like a single tongue of flame. As it rose, it branched out to become two flames, but part of each flame was a female figure staring at the other.

A gasp escaped her lips, and tears welled up.

"This is a symbol of my love for you." Athena smiled. "We are Twin Flames. Two bodies sharing one soul of love." Pulling out the pendant and reaching with both hands over her taller lover's head she placed the chain and touched it as it settled just above her cleavage. "No matter where we are. No matter how long we may be parted, this symbolizes my love, and the fact we will always be together."

Tears of joy slid down Ishtar's face and she grabbed her mate and hugged her, almost to the point of pain.

"I love you so much, Athena." Stroking the long brown hair that grew to the middle of her back.

Looking up at her, tears filling her eyes, she replied, "I know you do, and I love you."

"What a wonderful day." Ishtar said laying back onto the bed. "Not only is it our Remembrance, but it is also the day of the Peace Conference. Do you really believe the Cylons want peace after so many yahrens of war? I find it pretty hard to believe myself."

Looking out the window above their bed Athena replied, "I do not know. Father doesn't think so. And, as I have heard father say, neither does Adama. I think it would be wonderful. But it seems so sudden. Too sudden if you take my meaning."

Turning to follow Athena's gaze, Ishtar spoke, "Yes. I do take your meaning. Up until quatrons ago I was flying against them as they were attacking various Colonies and Sub-Colonies. Now they want peace? No real lessening of attacks. No hints of negotiations. Just, suddenly, they want to stop." Turning and looking back at Athena, "It doesn't fuse within my brain."

"Well, let's just let that stay aside for now. What do you have for me on today's special occasion?" Athena asked, giddyness overcoming her.

"Well, My One, I planned," Ishtar said looking sly. "to make you morning restitution in our chamber."

A look of disappointment clouded over Athena's face. "Is that all?"

"Well... I suppose I could give you your other present first." With that, Ishtar threw off the covers and leapt upon Athena, who squealed with delight. They embraced and gave each other the most wonderful gift each had ever received.

In the Bachelors Quarters two people sat at a table . A woman in her mid-twenties with short black hair and man of similar age with short, light brown hair. Both staring upon a board with thirty small squares marked on it, ten long by three wide, with four tall, thin, pyramid shapes and six cubes setting upon it.

Resting by the young man's right hand sat two of the short cubes. Each about one inch tall. The man, Jason Be-Al, was concentrating very hard on his next move. He had tallied, on three tosses of the Counting Sticks, a 1-3-5 and was trying to find the best move he could make.

"C'mon, Bash, make your move." Said the woman sitting casually, her chin resting upon her cupped hands with a piece of rolled cinimar bark jutting from her smirk. Laying by her elbows sat four pyramid shapes.

"Give me a centon, Inanna. Frak." Looking at his pieces he finally moved two of his cubes closer to their removal point. "There."

"Finally." She sighed, picking up the Counting Sticks and rolling them between her palms. The sticks were made from wood with one side painted silver, the other gold, depicting Sun and Moon. She let the five sticks fall with a gentle clatter onto the table until they stopped.

"Three suns." Be-Al said as he jotted down the number. This was a friendly game of Sanat. Even though no cubits being wagered he was keeping track of the tosses, just as she did when he made his own. She picked up the sticks and rolled them in her palms for a moment and let them clatter onto the table again.

"Five suns." He replied again.

Inanna studied the board and the location of her pieces. After a few moments she smiled and picked up the sticks for her third toss whispering to herself, "Lords of Kobol, God of Luck, bless this roll." With that she opened her palms and let the sticks fall.

"Wha-?" Be-Al gasped. All five sticks had fallen on the silver side, the moon side.

"And," She said with a smile, "We have here, a six. Plus an extra toss." She grinned from ear to ear as she looked at him. "First, I'll move my pieces."

Picking up one of her pyramid's she moved it three spaces placing it just in front of one of Be-Al's pieces. "Whoops. Looks like this piece goes back to the 'Sea of Woe'." She chuckled and picked up the cube and placed it upon the square marked with two squiggly lines.

Be-Al twitched and groaned.

"Next move. A five, yes?" Looking at Be-Al for confirmation, although he knew she didn't need it. He nodded sullenly.

Moving her pyramid she tapped out four spaces, she was now out of squares to tap, automatically she placed the piece into the stack next to her elbow.

"And now, Six." She picked up her piece and moved it counting each tap on the board.

"One. Two. Three. Four-r. Fi-ive. " Emphasizing each word for dramatic effect as the piece was nearing the edge of the board, "Six. Oh, look. No more squares. Another has made it to the House of Kobol." Fingers still holding the piece and placing it with it's brethren.

Picking up the sticks again and gently rolling them between her palms she dropped them and counted. "Three."

Be-Al sat straight and threw up his hands. "Oh, for the love of Kobol!"

Smiling and giggling Inanna picked up her piece that had caused his to be knocked back into the 'Sea' and tapped it off the board as well.

She was now left with one piece on the board to his six.

"That has to be the luckiest set of throws I have ever seen. Frak me!" Be-Al slouched defeated into his chair.

"Well they don't call me 'Wildcard' for nothing." She beamed.

"I thought it was because you don't always follow orders and your Viper doesn't always come back in one piece because of that." Be-Al said with a slight wisp of satisfaction. He liked Inanna very much. He found her very attractive, but also very strong and capable. A much better pilot than nearly anyone he had ever met.

He felt a twinge of regret after making his statement. He didn't wish for her to be upset, especially if it meant he would be the recipient. He hoped that she would feel the same for him as he did for her. But he also knew her reputation. She was a 'free spirit'.

That was a term used by many to describe a person who was interested in both genders.

"Hey!" She retorted, "I'm not that bad. And 'Oral' is a very strong girl. She can take anything I dish out." Pride flowed from her statement. She loved her Viper, she named it 'My Oral Devotion'. Mainly just to get a twinge from the upper brass. She was not breaking any rules by naming her fighter. Many within the Navy did that. But the choice of name made them wonder. That combined with a picture of a woman on the fuselage added to that confusion. In all honesty is was because she loved to talk to it as though it was her friend. It had been with her since she first graduated the Academy and got her first posting at one of Virgon's planetary defense bases.

That was seven yahren ago. 'Wow.' She thought, "Time really does flow quickly doesn't it.'

Inanna really did pull a lot of stunts and maneuvers that got her into trouble with the higher-ups. However, those same moves got her out of trouble during combat. In an effort to make an example of her, she was usually denied promotion. She was a First Lieutenant, while her sister, Ishtar, was a Captain.

They started at the Academy together. Actually, they did almost everything together, they were twins and loved each other tremendously.

She then remembered it was her sister and sister-in-law's Remembrance Day. She needed to do something for them. She frowned in concentration.

Bash saw Inanna frown and felt ashamed. "Sorry, about that. I shouldn't have said anything." He said, hanging his head slightly.

"Huh? What?" Inanna was pulled from her thoughts. "Shouldn't have said what?"

"I shouldn't have said anything about your flying capabilities. You really are an ace." He tried to redeem himself.

"Oh, that. Don't worry about it. I don't care. I pull some dangerous moves. But they save my astrum a lot. If the brass don't like it, that's their issue. I get the job done, and best of all I get to fly." Her eyes began to focus on an unseen vista in space where she was allowed to be free. Joy filled her face.

"Anyway," She stated. "Shall we finish the game? We have a couple of centares until the Conference. So we could play another game if you want." She added hopefully.

Looking at her with a wince, "We'll see."

At that moment, the air was suddenly blasted with a claxon, and yellow lights swirled around the room.

"What the Frak? Yellow alert?" Inanna cried over the noise. A dumbfounded moment of overcame her and Jason, but only for a moment, then their training kicked in.

They blasted out of their chairs, toppling them to the floor, and ran out the door to the flight deck and their awating Vipers.


End file.
